I'm joining in the fun for the New You for the New Year Challenge. Woohoo! Although I've been working with Vegan Bodybuilding & Fitness for a while now, I'm not exactly the best representative of the brand, so to speak. I've almost always had a hard time staying motivated to exercise, and because, to be honest, I don't really enjoy it all that much, I lack consistency and desire to do it. BUT... I have no doubt that this Challenge and the VBB forum will provide me the motivation and accountability I need to succeed!

That having been said, however, I actually didn't do very well today. I think it was probably mostly due to it being a holiday and the fact that my New Years Eve guests ended up staying all day long, I didn't get any exercise in... until I got some encouragement and loving motivation from a friend to "just do something, even though you're tired." So, at 7:45 tonight, I finally got my butt to the living room for some exercises. I was already wearing comfy lounge-around-the-house clothes and was going to keep those on. But, it occurred to me that I knew I would put more effort into the exercises if I changed into "real" workout clothes, including my Vegan Bodybuilding & Fitness t-shirt. As expected, that helped a lot, and whenever I caught my reflection in the mirror of my shirt, it reminded me that this forum journal and community of awesome vegan buddies will help keep me accountable.

So, on that note, I did the exercise program routine from the Engine 2 Diet book, written by Rip Esselstyn. I pretty much stuck to the beginner program, but did extra repetitions on the exercises I felt comfortable with. And when it was all said and done, I threw in 50 crunches to "seal the deal".

So, although I spent the whole day fearing I was already failing on the very first day of the challenge, I got some exercise in after all, and that felt really good. And the other good news is, that I already have tomorrow's exercise scheduled. Woohoo!

Last edited by kareno on Mon Jan 02, 2012 12:54 am, edited 1 time in total.

I'm so proud of you! I know you've been working incredibly hard, especially the past couple of days and nights, preparing to launch this program that so many people are benefiting from.

First and foremost, thank you for your outstanding work and amazing dedication to this project and to the Vegan Bodybuilding & Fitness community at large.

Congratulations on getting in a workout tonight to get the program off to a successful start. I'm excited to hear you already have tomorrow's workout planned out. Being prepared, organized and motivated are all part the recipe for a successful program. It seems you already have all of those, whether you know it or not.

All the very best with tomorrow's workout. I look forward to reading about it.

Thank you again for all your incredible work and your sincere support. It means so much more than you know.

Since dinner, I've been snacking on some more radishes (yumm), and I'll likely have a couple of Cutie clementines before bed.

I'm not thrilled that two of my meals today came out of a package, but that's just kind of the way it went today.

I went to my friend's house and we exercised in her complex's fitness room and did the following (in random order). I'm actually pretty embarassed to list these things here, since I'm sure this looks pretty lame to most people, but oh well. I guess I've gotta start somewhere.

That was fun to read. It sounds like your friend has access to some pretty cool equipment where she lives. Nice to have that available!

Do you have a gym nearby too? I don't recall if you live near a 24 Hour Fitness or if they are in other towns but not yours.

I'm proud of your consistency thus far. How does it feel to be exercising consecutive days?

I hope you create a plan for tomorrow and let us know if you want any suggestions. Even though I've been at it for 10+ years in the gym, I don't always go in with a specific plan. In fact, I don't know exactly what I'll be doing tomorrow because my workout depends on my level of soreness in certain areas. If my lower body is still too sore, upper body it is. If upper body is too sore from today's workout, then some sort of core training or cardio, or bodyweight or crossfit style would probably fill it's place. Or even a day off if I deemed it necessary.

Karen! You are off to am amazing start my friend! I am so proud of you! I will share my workout schedule with you and how it's evolved over time! I like to plan my meals and workouts for the week- I write it in my planner and it keeps me accountable. Like Robert said, you can go in there and change it up too depending on how you feel!

We will be emailing and chatting on the phone a lot over the next few days to get you set with a focused agenda. I know for me, that's key! Once you're in the swing of it, I think you'll feel empowered to make changes!

I was pretty sore today from the past couple of days, particularly upper body. I intended to go to the gym today (even packed a bag and drove in that general direction), but between feeling sore and in an emotional "funk", just didn't make it.

I did keep track of all my food today, though, and I feel fairly good about that.

Oh well, tomorrow is a new day. And I'm feeling bad enough about not exercising today to not let it happen again tomorrow.

You got a lot of other stuff done today and you were due for a rest day today or tomorrow anyway, so no sweat. You already know you're going to go after your workout with enthusiasm tomorrow and you're still on schedule for some great progress.

Awesome to hear that your upper body is still sore. I looked at the list of exercises from your previous workout and it looks like you hit it pretty hard! Well done.

Today I made sure I went to the gym early and that I put on my workout clothes before I left the house, so that I wouldn't be tempted to stop somewhere else and get distracted, like yesterday.

Started my day (at 10:00, yikes!) with Amanda's delicious smoothie she recommended. Thanks, Amanda! It was quite tasty and very filling!

After doing a few warm-up stretches and quick exercises, I did 5 minutes of slow walking, just to get my legs moving and get myself situated on the treadmill. Then, for the next 30 minutes, per Amanda's suggestion, I alternated between fast-walking 3 minutes and running 1 minute. That was at 4.0 and 6.0 speed, respectively. Then I did 20 minutes on the stair-climber, averaging level 3.5, I'd say. Finally, I did 40 minutes on the eliptical machine, at a moderate pace.

I've been keeping track of my food today using MyFitnessPal, and had a long conversation tonight with Amanda, who answered a lot of questions and gave great advice. She's pretty amazing.

Karen, you are doing amazing! I'm so glad we talked and I loveYour dedication. Enjoy the process of learningTo listen to your body and how it wants to be fueled. As your more active you'll see whatFuels your activity best and I'm always here forQuestions any time! Have an awesome day! Our next chatWe can cover strength training!

Hi Karen,I'm not sure, but I think you may have been assigned to Amanda during the New year's challenge? I'm with her as well, so I figured I'd take a chance and come say hi

I can totally relate to what I've read in your journal so far; getting started is probably the toughest part. For me it's cardio: I hate it with a passion, but I'm working on changing that mindset. I'll be coming back to cheer you on if that's ok!

Hi Carolina! Yep, I'm on Amanda's "team" as well, and that's so sweet that you would track me down and say hello! Yes, please do stop by and cheer me on from time to time, and I'll do the same for you! I love it that there is so much support and encouragement here!

Today I stuck to pretty much the same routine as yesterday: 35 minutes on the treadmill, 20 minutes on the stair-climber, and 30 minutes (a little shorter than yesterday) on the eliptical. It was a really cool eliptical machine I used today, a little different from others I've used, and a lot more fun! I felt like a gazelle!

I felt weaker today than yesterday. It was harder to push through.

Treadmill: I did a moderate 5 minute warmup, then spent 30 minutes alternating 3 minute walking at 4.0 with 1 minute speed-up to 5.5/6.0. Stair-climber: 20 minutes, 1 mile, 49 floors, averaged 39 steps/minute, which I probably should have tried to go faster, but I was still sweating! Eliptical (aka Gazelle!): 30 minutes, I selected "intervals" on the machine, and it alternated between level 4 and level 1 resistance. Gotta keep trying to figure out how all the options on the machines work. I generally just hit "go" and go, then fiddle around a bit with the buttons! Haha!

Breakfast was another one of Amanda's green smoothies, except I added more Vega protein than yesterday and used chia seeds instead of flax. I think I might have put too much Vega in it because it ended up being a lot of calories, and I was so full for quite a while.Lunch was kabocha squash with adzuki beans (one of my all-time favorite dishes!).Dinner was a big salad with lots of veggies and garbanzo beans.Also had a Vega Vibrancy bar after workout, as I was starving when I left! But glad I remembered to bring food with me, unlike yesterday.

Yay! I love when people connect! I just posted on my Facebook status yesterday, something along the lines of, "The thing I am most proud of is bringing people together. People who are now friends because of my website or other projects is what makes me smile the biggest and when I feel the most pride."

I really do love it. So glad so many of you are connecting during this fitness program and on this forum!

Great work today, Karen! I don't care how silly it sounds. One of the things I look forward to most each day is reading your journal I'm just really proud of you and really happy that you are embracing fitness and that you have a loving team and community supporting you.

Keep up the awesome work! I'm impressed and inspired. Get some rest. Catch up soon. We have some prizes to award people! Night, Night!